New Mexico was vast and sparsely populated. People lived in scattered towns, with wilderness stretching between them, linked by long highways.
Criminals were as plentiful as minerals in New Mexico—perhaps even more so, to the point that they seemed to be everywhere.
After arriving in New Mexico, Skye rented a car. But before she reached her destination, it broke down on the road. She was in the middle of nowhere, more than a hundred kilometers from the nearest town.
If she tried walking through this wilderness, she would probably die in some accident before she ever found another soul.
In this near-desperate situation, Skye took out her phone and looked at the incoming call display. All she had to do was tap redial, and she could reach Luo Xia. She was sure that if she asked, Luo Xia would come swooping down and carry her away from this barren wasteland.
But after thinking it over, Skye put her phone away.
I've managed on my own all these years. Why should I rely on someone else? Skye stubbornly encouraged herself.
Ever since she'd met Luo Xia by chance, she'd become less and less sure of herself. Everything she'd done before had been connected to that man. She'd even been willing to throw her life away for him. Now that she thought about it, she'd been a little foolish.
She'd left New York partly because her good friend Daisy had asked for help, and she'd planned to come to New Mexico to help her sort out a problem. But she'd also hoped to get away from Luo Xia, so she could calm down and think about what she should do.
Skye opened the smoking hood and began to inspect the car. She'd lived independently in the United States for years. She wasn't